Rehome your dog, cat or rabbit in Southport

Checked 5 November 2026

The short answer

Around Preston, a Labrador owner can go straight to Labrador Rescue (North West Area) at Eccleston, which may advertise your dog while it waits for a kennel. For other dogs, Easterleigh Animal Sanctuary in Blackpool has a surrender form but is often full, and Carla Lane Animals in Need at Melling has a form for dogs, cats and rabbits with no guaranteed space. While you wait, you can list your pet on LocalPetFinder and choose the new home yourself.

Southport shares its rescues with the Preston area: our Southport pages list animals in Southport first, then those with rescues around Preston, so the options below cover both. Rehoming in Preston

List your pet in Southport for free

Every listing checked by a person. Adopters message you through the site; your details stay private.

Start your listing

Before you rehome: worth trying first

Ask the breeder or rescue you got them from

The RSPCA's first suggestion is to contact the original seller. Responsible breeders and most rescues will take an animal back. Dogs Trust says it will "always take back a dog adopted from us".

Get help with the problem itself

Many rehomings are about behaviour, housing or money rather than the pet. Battersea runs a Behaviour Advice Line for dog owners, and PDSA is a vet charity for pets of people who qualify for help. Both are worth checking before you decide.

Keep your pet at home while they’re rehomed

If you can wait a little, stay-at-home schemes spare your pet a kennel: Dogs Trust Homestay, Blue Cross Home Direct and Cats Protection Home to Home. Listing on LocalPetFinder works the same way: your pet stays with you until you've chosen the new home.

Don’t leave a pet anywhere

Blue Cross warns that leaving an animal outside a centre, especially when it's closed, "could put them at risk", so always arrange a handover. And vets aren't rehoming centres, the RSPCA notes.

Your options in and around Southport

There are three routes: list your pet yourself on LocalPetFinder, ask a local rescue to take them, or use a national charity scheme. Which is right depends on your pet, how soon you need to move them, and how involved you want to be.

1. List your pet on LocalPetFinder

Fill in the listing form. It takes about ten minutes, and listing is free.
A person checks every listing before it goes live, usually within a day.
Adopters message you through LocalPetFinder; your email address and phone number stay private.
You choose who to meet, and you hand your pet over in person, never by courier.

2. Local rescues that take owners’ pets

Labrador Rescue (North West Area)dogs · Kennels at Eccleston, near Chorley, about 8 miles from Preston
Labradors only. Email or phone it, then give your dog's details over the phone or on a form it sends, with a photo. Its kennels are few, so it may advertise your dog on its site while a place comes free. When one does, you bring the dog with its vaccination and chip papers and sign a witnessed release form; after that you can't change your mind, so be sure first.
Easterleigh Animal Sanctuarydogs · Based in Blackpool, with its dogs in private kennels, about 15 miles from Preston
Choose the surrender form for your animal on its site. It is often at full capacity and may have a waiting list, so it decides on taking an animal in case by case. It asks you to have your pet vaccinated before it arrives if you can, or to give a donation towards the jabs.
Carla Lane Animals in Needdogs, cats, rabbits · Spurriers Lane, Melling, in Sefton (L31), about 20 miles from Preston
Before you decide, it suggests asking about vet advice, behaviour help or a pet food bank. If you decide to go on, there is a form for a dog, cat or rabbit asking about the animal and your circumstances, after which the team gets in touch. A form doesn't guarantee a space, so keep caring for your pet while you talk.

If you have found a dog rather than need to give one up, Preston City Council's stray service is run by Acorn Kennels. It is not a route for an owner's own dog.

3. National charity schemes

Dogs Trustdogs
Two routes: Homestay, where your dog stays with you while Dogs Trust finds a new home (it says Homestay dogs "generally find a new home within two weeks"), or a kennel or foster place, which "could take a few weeks". Giving up a dog to Dogs Trust is free, and it aims to reply within 72 hours. Start with a call on 0300 303 2188 or its online form.
Blue Crossdogs, cats, rabbits
Home Direct keeps your pet with you while Blue Cross finds a new owner. That is "the quickest way", it says, because space in its own kennels, cattery and small pet units "is very limited". It takes dogs, cats, rabbits and small pets. Call pet admissions on 0300 777 1960 or use its online form.
Cats Protectioncats
Contact your local Cats Protection branch or centre (not its charity shops), and plan ahead: "there can often be waiting lists". Its Home to Home scheme lets your cat stay at home while it's rehomed, with no specific fee.
Rabbit rescuesrabbits
The Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund doesn't rehome rabbits itself, but points owners to Rescue Review, Save a Fluff and Rabbit Rehome to find a local rescue. It also asks you never to split a bonded pair.

If you rehome privately: the must-dos

The microchip has to be transferred

In England, a dog or cat can't be passed to a new keeper until it's microchipped, and the new keeper must update the microchip database (Microchipping of Cats and Dogs (England) Regulations 2023, reg. 9). Check the chip is on a government-approved database and do the transfer at the handover.

No deposits, no couriers

Never ask for, or accept, money before an adopter has met your pet in person, and hand over face to face. A request for a deposit is the classic sign of a pet scam, and on LocalPetFinder it gets a listing taken down.

Banned dog types can’t be rehomed at all

In England it's against the law to give away a banned dog, and in England and Wales it's illegal to "rehome, sell, buy, or transfer ownership of an XL Bully" (gov.uk: England and Wales). If you think your dog could be an XL Bully, contact your local police force rather than listing.

Adopters must be adults, and you must be honest

Adopters must be 18 or over, and the listing must be accurate about health, behaviour, and whether your pet is good with children, dogs and cats. A good match is the one that lasts.

What’s listed in and around Southport right now

LocalPetFinder gathers adoptable animals from rescues reachable from Southport. Right now that is 179 dogs, 159 cats and 39 rabbits from 28 rescues, plus 3 pets listed by their owners. Local rescues are often full, which is one reason owner-to-owner rehoming exists. But if a rescue can take your pet, its assessment and matching are worth a lot.

Looking to adopt instead? Rescue dogs in and around Southport · rescue cats · rabbits

Rehoming a particular breed?

Each guide covers what to tell adopters about the breed, and the breed rescues that take owners’ pets.

Cats

British Shorthair Siamese Bengal Cat Maine Coon Ragdoll Persian Cat Russian Blue Burmese Birman Norwegian Forest Cat Sphynx Cat

Rehoming a pet in Southport: your questions

Tap a question to expand

Where can I take my dog in Preston if I can't keep him?

For a Labrador, contact Labrador Rescue (North West Area) at Eccleston by email or phone. For other dogs, try Easterleigh Animal Sanctuary's surrender form or Carla Lane Animals in Need's dog form, though neither can promise a space. Meanwhile you can advertise him on LocalPetFinder and pick his new owner yourself.

How do I rehome a cat or rabbit in Preston?

Carla Lane Animals in Need at Melling has separate forms for cats and rabbits, and contacts you about next steps. Listing them on LocalPetFinder as well lets someone nearby offer a home sooner.

Can I change my mind after giving my dog to a rescue near Preston?

Not at Labrador Rescue (North West Area): once you sign its witnessed release form, the dog belongs to the rescue. Ask each rescue about its own terms before you hand your pet over.

How do I rehome my dog in Southport?

You have three routes: list your dog yourself on LocalPetFinder (free, with every listing checked by a person and messages relayed so your details stay private), ask a local rescue to take them, or use a national scheme such as Dogs Trust Homestay, which keeps your dog at home while it finds a new owner. Whichever you choose, your dog must be microchipped and the chip transferred to the new keeper.

Is it free to rehome my pet?

Listing on LocalPetFinder is free. Giving up a dog to Dogs Trust is free; Battersea asks for a suggested donation of £50; many other rescues ask for a donation but, the RSPCA says, will still help if you're struggling financially.

Can I charge a rehoming fee?

You can ask for a rehoming fee, paid at the handover after the adopter has met your pet, and never as a deposit beforehand. PAAG's worry with "free to good home" adverts is that people may take an animal on impulse and that a free advert "may devalue an animal" (PAAG). A fee does make the handover a sale, though, so animals can't go to anyone under 16 and you should be honest about your pet's health.

Will the RSPCA take my pet?

Usually not: the RSPCA says its national centres "can't take in unwanted pets" because it prioritises cruelty and neglect cases. A local RSPCA branch may be able to help, and it points owners to other rehoming charities.

How long does it take to rehome a pet?

It varies. Dogs Trust says a kennel space "could take a few weeks", while dogs on its Homestay scheme "generally find a new home within two weeks". On LocalPetFinder your listing is reviewed usually within a day and then goes live to adopters near you.

What about rehoming a rabbit?

Rabbit rescues are often full, so start early. The Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund suggests your vet's noticeboard and local rescues (found through Rescue Review, Save a Fluff or Rabbit Rehome), never a "free to good home" advert. Keep a bonded pair together. You can list rabbits on LocalPetFinder too.

Can I rehome a puppy or kitten?

Not on LocalPetFinder: we only list animals aged 6 months or older, in the spirit of Lucy's Law. If you have a young animal or a litter, a rescue can help.

More help

List your pet in Southport for free

Every listing checked by a person. Adopters message you through the site; your details stay private.

Start your listing

Sources: Labrador Rescue (North West Area): surrendering your dog · Easterleigh Animal Sanctuary: surrendering your animal · Carla Lane Animals in Need: giving up a pet · Carla Lane Animals in Need: rehome my dog (form) · Carla Lane Animals in Need: rehome my cat (form) · Carla Lane Animals in Need: rehome my rabbit (form) · Preston City Council: stray dogs · Dogs Trust: Giving up your dog · Blue Cross: Giving up a pet · Cats Protection: Giving up a cat · RSPCA: Giving up a pet · RWAF: Rehoming rabbits · Battersea: Giving your dog up for adoption · PAAG: Free to a good home adverts · Microchipping of Cats and Dogs (England) Regulations 2023 · gov.uk: Get your dog or cat microchipped · gov.uk: Ban on XL Bully dogs (England and Wales)